by Harper Sloan
I am laughing so hard, I fall backwards off the log that we are sitting on. I haven’t ever had this much fun and I am dirtier than I have ever been in my life. I have mud in my hair, on my face, and all over my clothes. I'm sure I look like a homeless person but everyone else is just as dirty. Even Asher’s mom is covered in dirt. I love all of them and I love Tennessee. The laid-back lifestyle and the friendly people are so different from New Yorkers.
I realize, lying on the ground in the dirt, that I am happy. Really, really happy for the first time in my life. Asher leans over and helps me back up on the log. He puts me back under his arm and kisses my nose, smiling.
“I'm stealing your girl,” Sven deadpans.
“Fuck, no,” Asher says, smiling at him. The guys go back to talking about the jobsite and things they have to get done before the next inspection, while Susan and I plan our trip to Nashville the next day.
“So, I’ll pick you up around nine,” she tells me.
“Okay, sounds good.”
“Twelve, Mom. No earlier,” Asher says, breaking into our conversation.
“Nine,” his mom says, looking at him, daring him to disagree.
“Twelve. Tomorrow is Sunday and we’re sleeping in.”
“Ni—”
“Susan,” Mr. Mayson says in a warning tone to his wife then he pulls her into his lap and whispers in her ear. She melts against him then looks over at me.
“I’ll be there at twelve.” I nod my head in agreement then giggle when she laughs. Apparently, Asher takes after his dad.
I crawl into Asher’s lap and cuddle into him while everyone sits around talking. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know, I am being put into the front seat of Asher’s jeep.
“We’ll be home soon, baby,” he whispers and I feel his lips at my forehead. I am back asleep before he shut my door.
I feel the car come to a stop and I lift my head from Asher’s shoulder, where it had fallen.
“Hey, sleepy head,” he says, looking over at me.
“This was the best day ever,” I say, smiling. I grab his face and kiss him hard.
“Yeah,” he says with his eyes running over my face. He kisses my nose and opens his door to let Beast out on his side. I meet him in front of the jeep and we walk into the house with me leaning into his side. I don’t pull away until we are in the living room.
“I'm going to shower,” I tell him and stumble my way to the bathroom. I take off my dirty shoes and socks but am waiting for the water to get hot before I fully undress.
I turn on the shower and feel warmth hit my back and Asher’s hand slides along my belly. I turn my head to ask what he is doing when I catch the look in his eyes. He uses his hands to turn me by my waist, his fingers at the edge of my shirt as a shiver runs down my spine and heat floods my center. He lifts the edge of my shirt and pulls it up over my head. His eyes are on my red lace bra and his finger trace the edge of it. I put my hands up the front of his shirt, feeling his smooth skin. He takes my hands away from his body and puts them on the wall behind his head. Dragging his shirt up and over, his hands then come to the button of my jeans. My stomach muscles contract at his touch. My breaths are becoming erratic from having him this close to me, touching him. Asher touching me. I pray that no one interrupts us this time and quickly move my hands to the front of his jeans.
Without warning, he captures my hands and pulls them away from his skin. Startled, I look up at him. His mouth crashes into mine; his tongue sweeps the seam of my mouth and mine opens under his. My hands grab his head, holding him closer, deepening the kiss. His hands slid down my waist to my ass and he picks me up. My jeans fall to the floor and my legs circle his hips. He walks five steps to set me down on the basin of the sink. His hand go to my hair and he tugs out my hair tie. My hair falls down around me and he wraps a fist in it, tugging my head to the side so he can kiss me harder.
My body is on fire and my panties are soaked. I tighten my legs around him, trying to get some friction to relieve the ache that he created. He growls and pulls his lower body slightly away from me. I whimper and my head falls back against the mirror. His lips trail down my neck, breathing heavily. My thighs start shaking as he kisses down my neck, over my collarbone, to the edge of my lace bra. Then his mouth is sucking my nipple through the lace. The friction is intense. “Asher,” I whimper.
“I know, baby.” Then he sucks harder and I can feel his teeth scrape against my sensitive flesh. His hand travels down my side to the edge of my panties. Near my hip, I feel his finger sliding under the edge and traveling along the inside of my thigh. He is approaching my core and I start panting. His hands and mouth feel amazing on me but I need more.
Biting my lip, I look down at him. It is the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen. His hand pulls down the cups of my bra then his mouth latches back on. His hand goes to my other nipple, pulling and rolling it between his fingers. My head thrashes then his mouth is back on mine. My hands travel down his back, around to the front of his jeans so I can get his button undone.
I use my toes to shove his jeans and boxers down his hips then I watch as he springs free. His cock is as beautiful as he is. Long and thick. I just want to wrap my mouth around it but I am pinned to the counter. I wrap my hand around him and pump once.
“Shit!” Asher growls and pulls away from my grasp. His mouth is trailing down my body, licking and biting. His hand goes to my panties and he grabs the material at my core and rips it away. “You’re soaked, baby. Do you want my mouth or my cock?” This is such a complicated question.
I want both but all I can say is, “Please.” Then his hot mouth is on me sucking, licking, and consuming me like he is starving. His hands go to my ass, pulling me closer. My hands go to his head, holding him to me. His fingers slide in and I shatter, screaming out his name. My body is shaking. Never have I felt this way in my life. It is one of those mind blowing, body shaking orgasms that everyone talks about. I float slowly back to earth.
When I open my eyes, Asher is leaning over me. “Please tell me you’re on birth control.”
“Yes,” I cry, feeling the length of him against me. Then he slams into me. I scream his name and his forehead drops to my chest and he stills his movements. I roll my hips, trying to get him to give me what I need.
His head comes up. “Don’t move, baby,” he whispers. I watch as he takes a deep breath then he pulls out and slides back in.
My back bows. “Please, Asher,” I cry, digging my nails into his back.
“Hold onto me, baby.”
I grab on to him and wrap my legs around his waist. He carries me to the bed. Once he lays me down, he grabs my hips and slams into me over and over. My head goes back and my eyes close. He is hitting the perfect spot and his fingers are digging into my hips. The pain and pleasure I am feeling is making me cry out with each thrust.
“Look at me,” he growls. My head tips down and he kisses me deeply. I take my mouth away and my head flies against the mattress as I feel myself start to come. “Look at me, November,” he growls again and my eyes come to his. “You don’t come until I come with you,” he says, pounding into me.
“I'm going to come now,” I tell him, feeling my insides tighten.
“Not yet. Hold it.” Oh God, I don’t know if I can hold it. My body is on fire. I bite down on his shoulder, trying to control my orgasm.
“Fuck, come now,” he roars and I feel him swell as my body explodes around him.
I am floating with a million colors dancing around me. My face goes into his neck, my arms and legs tighten around him, holding him close. We stay like this for a long time, just holding each other close. Our breathing evens out and he lifts his head. I pull my face out of his neck.
“Are you okay, baby?” he asks, his eyes searching my face.
“Amazing,” I say, leaning in and kissing him softly.
“Fuck, your pussy is as beautiful as you are.” He tightens his arms around me. “And as sweet as your
mouth.” I have never had a guy go down on me before. I thought it would be uncomfortable but it was amazing. All I can do is smile. “What’s that look?” he asks.
“Um, I’ve never done that before. I mean, I’ve done it but never had a guy do that to me.” He starts chuckling. His body is still surrounding me and I can still feel him inside me.
“You’re kidding, right?” he asks. I feel embarrassed and my body goes tight. I look over his shoulder, wondering why I have no filter with him. It is like whatever is on my mind comes out like word vomit.
“We should…um…turn off the shower,” I tell his shoulder. That isn’t a lie. There is steam rolling out of the bathroom.
“Baby, look at me.”
“I’m just saying we don’t want to run out of hot water.”
“November, look at me.” At his tone, my eyes go to his. He cups my cheek in his big palm and kisses me softly. “You never have to be embarrassed. Trust me, I'm fucking thankful that I'm the only one who has gotten to see you like that.” I feel my nose sting and I shove my face in his neck.
“Okay,” I whisper. He makes me feel beautiful and special, like I have known him forever rather than just a few days.
“Now, let’s have a shower,” he says, picking me up. My legs are still around him and I can feel him inside me. The movement causes me to moan. “You’re going to get soapy and play with yourself while I watch.”
“What?” I whisper, feeling nervous and excited.
“You heard me,” he says, nipping my neck. He stands me up in the shower and hands me a bottle of body wash and a sponge. As directed, I get soapy and play with myself. Then, he plays with me. Then, I play with him.
When we get out and dried off, he carries me to bed without bothering with clothes. He wraps his body around mine and we fall asleep. It is definitely the best day of my life.
So maybe, I'm more like my grandmother than I thought. I love shopping as much as the next woman but seriously, it’s almost ten at night and we’re just now heading home from our girls’ day out.
The day started with Asher waking me with his mouth and fingers then he had me get on top and ride him until we both collapsed back into bed, breathing heavily. We made breakfast and drank coffee out on the deck while watching Beast chase wild turkeys around the yard.
Asher’s mom showed up at eleven thirty when I was in the bathroom putting on makeup. I still had to put my clothes on so I chose a pair of dark jeans and an empire waist floral tank top and a mint green cardigan over it with knee high brown boots. They have a low heel so they’re comfortable for walking.
I walked into the kitchen and Asher was standing near the sink in jeans, bare feet, and a black thermal long sleeve shirt that had buttons at the neck that were undone. His face was extra scruffy so he looked exceptionally sexy. I wanted to send his mom home and drag him back to bed for the day.
His eyes came to me and he did a head-to-toe inspection and gave me a sweet smile. His eyes were warm, and as I bit my lip, they dropped to my mouth and I got the dimple.
“Are you ready to go, beautiful girl?” his mom asked, making me jump. I felt heat hit my cheeks because I forgot she was there the minute I saw Asher.
“Um, yeah. Can we stop at my dad’s so I can drop off Beast?” I asked, looking at her.
“Beast is going with me, baby. I'm meeting Trevor to help him with some shit at his house.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Yeah, now come kiss me before you leave.”
“Asher,” I said in a warning tone.
“Baby, get your ass over here. If I have to come to you, you’re not going to like it.” I felt my nipples tighten at his tone. I wasn’t so sure that I didn’t want to see what he would do.
“You do know that you’re not the boss of me, right?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest to hide how turned on I was. He didn’t miss the gesture and a smug smile slid across his face. “Whatever,” I muttered and grabbed my bag off the island.
Looking at Asher’s mom, I asked, “Ready?”
Before I could make it five steps, I was spun around and Asher’s mouth was on mine. I tried to fight him but his hand twisted into the hair at the back of my head. I gasped then his tongue was in my mouth. I couldn’t help but to kiss him back.
When he tore his mouth from mine, he moved his lips near my ear and whispered, “You’re mine. Every inch of you belongs to me. From your sweet mouth to your even sweeter pussy and when I want it, you better give it to me.”
He bit my earlobe then kissed my nose. I was in a complete Asher-fog when I heard Susan call my name. I looked at her and she was smiling. I looked up at Asher and he kissed my nose again. “Have fun, baby.”
I narrowed my eyes on him, praying for magical powers that would set him on fire. This didn’t happen and I rolled my eyes. Susan moved to stand in front of Asher.
“Have fun, Ma, and take care of my girl,” he said, bending down to kiss her cheek. He walked us to the door. His mom walked out before me so I slowed my steps and turned around.
Standing on my tiptoes, I kissed Asher and quickly ducked my head before he could get his arms around me. I ran out the door to his mom’s truck. “Bye, honey. Have a good day,” I yelled, looking over my shoulder and laughing.
Asher was standing on the porch with his arms crossed and feet planted apart. His dimple was out. I hopped up in the truck and shut the door. I heard Asher call Beast over to him. I waved as we backed out of the driveway. Asher didn’t wave but I did get a chin lift so that’s pretty much the same thing.
“I never thought I would have a front row seat to my eldest son falling in love,” Susan said. I looked over at her, dumbfounded.
“What? I don’t think so,” I said, looking out the window and trying to fight my smile.
“Oh, yes, honey. I know so. You know, James grew up in this town. I moved here after college to work in the hospital. When I got to town, I was warned by dozens of women about him. They all said he was so good looking that he had a different woman in his bed every night. Well, I made it my mission to stay away from him. Why would I want a man who obviously wasn’t faithful and never wanted to settle down? Then one night, I got a flat tire on my way home. A very handsome man pulled up and helped me get the spare on my car. I had no idea who he was until after he finished and introduced himself. When he said his name, I got out of there as fast as possible.
“The next day, I ran into him in town and he asked me out. I said no and he walked away, so I thought that was it. But then everyday he would be somewhere that I was. He would ask me out and I would say no. This went on for about two months. Then one day, I finally said yes but made him promise to never ask me out again. He agreed so we went out on one date. Next thing I knew, I was staying at his house, he put a ring on my finger, and I was planning a wedding. All of that happened in just a few months. And if you talk to his mom, she will tell you a similar story about her and James Sr. I think the Mayson men don’t bother getting serious until they see someone that they can’t live without.”
“Um, Asher was already married,” I reminded her. I liked Asher a lot but I was not going to get my hopes built on false dreams.
“He was for about three months. I never met the girl and didn’t even know she existed until a couple weeks after they were married when she answered the phone at Asher’s apartment. I'm not a man but I would think that if I found a woman I was going to spend the rest of my life with, I would want my family to know about her.”
“Can we talk about something else?” I asked, trying not to sound rude but wanting to change the topic. The thought of Asher in love with someone enough to marry her made my stomach turn.
“Sure, beautiful,” she said, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze.
“Thanks,” I whispered, squeezing her hand back.
We stopped for coffee on our way out of town then headed to Nashville for a day of shopping and manicures.
Asher
Watching
November pull away with my ma, I get that feeling in my chest, the same one I get every time November smiles at me. It’s like taking a shot of whiskey. After the burn, you’re left with the warmth. I wait till I can’t see the truck anymore and drag my hands down my face. Beast barks, getting my attention.
“Come on. We got shit to do,” I tell him, walking into the house. Fuck me if I'm not starting to sound like her. She’s always carrying on one-sided conversations with the dog like she expects him to talk back.
I walk into the bedroom and see that she made the bed while she was in here getting ready. She left the bathroom light on so I go to turn it off. There is girly shit all over the counter. I wait to see if I feel panic and none comes. Not that I actually expected it to. Shit, when she told me that she couldn’t do casual, I had to laugh.
If I could put a ring on her finger right now, I would, but I don’t think she would consider that to be slow. Grabbing my boots and socks, I head out to the living room and call Mike.
After what November told me about her childhood, I am done. I don’t care what I have to do, she is mine and I will never let her feel second best again.
Remembering the tone in her voice when she opened up about her childhood—the neglect and the abuse—has me in such a rage that I have to remind myself that she is here with me and it will do neither of us any good if I get sent to prison for murder. We were in bed and November was lying on top of me as I played with her hair when I finally asked the question that had been nagging me.
“Tell me about your mom,” I said, feeling her whole body go tight. It made my stomach clench knowing that whatever she was about to say was bad. So bad that she was not breathing and her nails were digging into the skin on my arms.